Various azole compounds having antifungal activity have been known. For example, JP-A-60-218387 discloses imidazole compounds represented by the following formula (a) (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"): ##STR1##
Moreover, JP-A-62-93227 discloses that these compounds are useful as an antifungal agent. Furthermore, JP-A-2-275877 discloses that the optically active compounds of specific compounds among the above imidazole compounds have antifungal activity against Trichophyton mentagrophytes about 1.4 times the activity of racemic compounds thereof.